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All History Should Be Valued
Sometimes, what people do speaks so loudly that you can’t hear what they say.
It has been 30 years since my election. After my four-year term, I turned over my gubernatorial papers as required by law, yet they remain uncatalogued and inaccessible for public viewing or educational purposes. However, the collections of numerous Governors elected after me are complete and fully accessible.
This year, the Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at VCU and Virginia Union University are planning the 30-year observation of my election, and it would be beneficial for students, scholars, and researchers to access my gubernatorial archives to study and discuss legislative initiatives and policy changes during my administration.
As a governor who worked for the uplift of all Virginians and who remains committed to education and equality, I cannot help but reflect that this is NOT representative of the Virginia that I know.
As the Richmond Times-Dispatch article below demonstrates, we must be more vigilant in matters of racial equity and continue to demand what is right and criticize what is wrong.
Doug Wilder accuses Library of Virginia of racism in handling of his gubernatorial papers
Stay tuned
